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CHAPTER ONE
ECONOMIC SECURITY
FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS
A strong economy starts with a strong middle class. Our plan
offers real help to Canadas middle class and all those working hard to
join it. When our middle class has more money in their pockets to save,
invest, and grow the economy, we all benefit.
HELPING FAMILIES
We will give families more money to help with the high cost of raising their
kids.
We will cancel tax breaks and benefits for the wealthy including the Universal
Child Care Benefit and introduce a new Canada Child Benefit to give Canadian
families more money to raise their kids.
With the Canada Child Benefit, nine out of ten Canadian families will receive
more than under Stephen Harpers confusing collection of child benefit programs.
For the typical family of four, that means an additional $2,500 in help, tax-free,
every year.
Household
Income
Our Plan
Harpers Plan
Our Plan
Harpers Plan
$15,000
$6,400
$5,825
$11,800
$10,175
$45,000
$5,380
$3,350
$9,850
$5,900
$90,000
$3,245
$2,125
$5,875
$3,300
$140,000
$1,695
$1,500
$3,125
$2,050
$200,000
$0
$1,425
$0
$1,950
Because the Canada Child Benefit is tax-free and tied to income, it also provides
greater support to those who need help the most: single-parent families and lowincome families. Our plan will lift 315,000 Canadian children out of poverty.
Stephen Harper thinks that government should provide child support payments
to millionaires. We will end that unfair giveaway.
MIDDLE CLASS
TAX CUT
We will give middle class Canadians a tax break, by making taxes more fair.
When middle class Canadians have more money in their pockets to save, invest,
and grow the economy, we all benefit.
We will cut the middle income tax bracket to 20.5 percent from 22 percent
a seven percent reduction. Canadians with taxable annual income between
$44,700 and $89,401 will see their income tax rate fall.
This tax relief is worth up to $670 per person, per year or $1,340 for a twoincome household.
To pay for this tax cut, we will ask the wealthiest one percent of Canadians to give
a little more. We will introduce a new tax bracket of 33 percent for individuals
earning more than $200,000 each year.
ENDING UNFAIR
TAX BREAKS
We will cancel income splitting and other tax breaks and benefits for the
wealthy.
Income splitting costs the federal government $2 billion a year but delivers
benefits to only a few. It will not create a single job. It will not give one young
person an opportunity to get ahead.
Income splitting delivers no benefits to working parents who earn similar salaries,
no benefits to single parents, and no benefits to Canadians who do not have kids.
All told, income splitting benefits only about 15 percent of Canadian households.
We will cancel Stephen Harpers tax breaks for the wealthy, to give Canadian
families more money to raise their children.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
YOUNG CANADIANS
We will invest to create more jobs and better opportunities for young
Canadians.
After ten years under Stephen Harper, good-quality job opportunities for young
Canadians are tougher and tougher to find. Faced with high unemployment and
underemployment, many young people have stopped looking for work altogether.
This is hard for both young people and their families. Many parents are seeing
their household debt rise and retirement savings dwindle as they struggle to
support their grown children, who often return home.
It is time to invest in young Canadians to help them get the work experience
they will need to start their careers and contribute fully to our economy.
We will create 40,000 good youth jobs including 5,000 youth green jobs each
year for the next three years, by investing $300 million more in the renewed
Youth Employment Strategy.
We will more than double the almost 11,000 Canadians who access Skills Link
each year. This program helps young Canadians including Aboriginal and
disabled youth make a more successful transition to the workplace.
After this initial three-year boost in funding, we will set the renewed Youth
Employment Strategys funding level at $385 million per year a $50 million
increase from 2015/16.
We will invest $40 million each year to help employers create more co-op
placements for students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and
business programs.
And to encourage companies to hire young Canadians for permanent positions,
we will also offer a 12-month break on Employment Insurance premiums. We will
waive employer premiums for all those between the ages of 18 and 24 who are
hired into a permanent position in 2016, 2017, or 2018.
We will also work with provinces, territories, and post-secondary institutions to
develop or expand Pre-Apprenticeship Training Programs. This will provide up
to $10 million per year to help young Canadians gain the skills they need to enter
high-demand trades.
We will end the rule that discriminates against new workers and those reentering the workforce by requiring them to accumulate 910 hours of work to
qualify for Employment Insurance benefits, including training support.
We will invest $25 million per year in a restored Youth Service Program, to give
young Canadians valuable work and life experience, and provide communities
with the help required for much-needed projects.
RETIREMENT
SECURITY
That security starts with a strong and stable pension program. We will work with
6 | REAL CHANGE: A NEW PLAN FOR A STRONG MIDDLE CLASS
We will also restore the eligibility age for Old Age Security and the Guaranteed
Income Supplement to 65, putting an average of $13,000 into the pockets of the
lowest income Canadians each year, as they become seniors.
We will help to lift hundreds of thousands of seniors out of poverty by increasing
the Guaranteed Income Supplement for single low-income seniors by ten
percent. This will give one million of our most vulnerable seniors who are often
women almost $1,000 more each year.
Because many seniors live on fixed incomes, we will introduce a new Seniors
Price Index to make sure that Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income
Supplement benefits keep up with seniors actual rising costs.
We will also make the Compassionate Care Benefit more flexible and easier to
access, so that those who are caring for seriously ill family members not just
family members who are at risk of death can access six months of benefits.
AFFORDABLE
HOUSING
We will make it easier for Canadians to find an affordable place to call home.
Today, one in four Canadian households is paying more than it can afford for
housing, and one in eight cannot find affordable housing that is safe, suitable, and
well maintained.
When affordable housing is in short supply, Canadians feel less secure and our
whole economy suffers.
We will renew federal leadership in housing, starting with a new, ten-year
investment in social infrastructure.
We will prioritize investments in affordable housing and seniors facilities, build
more new housing units and refurbish old ones, give support to municipalities to
maintain rent-geared-to-income subsidies in co-ops, and give communities the
money they need for Housing First initiatives that help homeless Canadians find
stable housing.
We will encourage the construction of new rental housing by removing all GST
on new capital investments in affordable rental housing. This will provide $125
million per year in tax incentives to grow and renovate the supply of rental
housing across Canada.
We will modernize the existing Home Buyers Plan to allow Canadians impacted
by sudden and significant life changes to buy a house without tax penalty. This
will ease the burden on Canadians facing job relocation, the death of a spouse,
marital breakdown, or a decision to accommodate an elderly family member.
We will direct the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the new
Canada Infrastructure Bank to provide financing to support the construction of
new, affordable rental housing for middle- and low-income Canadians.
We will conduct an inventory of all available federal lands and buildings that could
be repurposed, and make some of these lands available at low cost for affordable
housing in communities where there is a pressing need.
We will review escalating home prices in high-priced markets, like Toronto and
Vancouver, and consider all policy tools that could keep home ownership within
reach for more Canadians.
We will also immediately restore the mandatory long-form census to ensure that
decisions on housing are made using the best and most up-to-date data available.
POST-SECONDARY
EDUCATION
We will provide direct help to students from low- and middle-income families to
help them pay for their education and ensure that debt loads are manageable.
We will increase the maximum Canada Student Grant for low-income students
to $3,000 per year for full-time students, and to $1,800 per year for part-time
students.
In addition, to help more students from middle class families qualify for Canada
Student Grants, we will increase the income thresholds for eligibility, giving more
Canadian students access to even larger grants. This investment will be funded
by cancelling the poorly targeted education and textbook tax credits. The tuition
tax credit will be maintained.
This will increase the level of non-repayable grant assistance to students by $750
million per year, rising to $850 million per year by 2019/20.
We will also make our student loan system more flexible. We will ensure that no
graduate with student loans will be required to make any repayment until they
are earning an income of at least $25,000 per year.
This will be done by changing the income thresholds in the Repayment Assistance
Plan for recent graduates. The federal government will continue to pay the
interest on student loans until graduates begin to earn sufficient incomes to take
over their own payments and repay their own loans.
We will work with provinces and territories to ensure that they do not assume
any additional costs, and to make sure these investments go directly to students.
Appropriate compensation will be offered to provinces and territories that do
not participate in the Canada Student Loan program.
We will also work collaboratively with provinces and territories to improve
promotion of RESPs and Canada Learning Bonds, and to make registration
simpler for all families.
We will invest $50 million in additional annual support to the Post-Secondary
Student Support Program, which supports Indigenous students attending postsecondary education, and will allow the program to grow in line with increasing
demand.
A NEW HEALTH
ACCORD
We will make home care more available, prescription drugs more affordable,
and mental health care more accessible.
Canadas publicly-funded universal health care system is a source of pride for
Canadians and a source of economic security for the middle class and those
working hard to join it. When Canadians are in good physical and mental health,
they are able to work better, be more productive, and contribute more fully to
our economy while living healthier, happier lives.
Despite our health care systems value and importance, it has been more than a
decade since a Canadian Prime Minister sat down with provincial and territorial
Premiers to strengthen the program, and ensure that it can meet current needs
and the challenges that come with an aging population.
We will restart that important conversation and provide the collaborative federal
leadership that has been missing during the Harper decade.
We will negotiate a new Health Accord with provinces and territories, including a
long-term agreement on funding.
As an immediate commitment, we will invest $3 billion, over the next four years,
to deliver more and better home care services for all Canadians. This includes
more access to high quality in-home caregivers, financial supports for family care,
and, when necessary, palliative care.
To help families care for their loved ones at home, we will make the Employment
Insurance Compassionate Care Benefit more flexible and easier to access, so that
it provides help for more than just end-of-life care.
We will also develop a pan-Canadian collaboration on health innovation, and
will improve access to necessary prescription medications. We will join with
provincial and territorial governments to buy drugs in bulk, reducing the cost
Canadian governments pay for these drugs, and making them more affordable
for Canadians.
FIGHTING POVERTY
We will also lift more Canadians including children and seniors out of
poverty.
Poverty and inequality are not just problems for individual Canadians all of
Canada is affected. For Canadians, poverty makes it more difficult to get and
stay healthy, and more difficult to find and keep good work. For Canada, the
costs of poverty seen in higher health care costs and greater demand for social
assistance are immense.
Our plan will lift Canadians out of poverty starting immediately after the next
election.
We will introduce a new Canada Child Benefit. Tax-free, tied to income and
delivered monthly, this benefit provides greater support to those who need help
most: single-parent families and low-income families. It will lift 315,000 children
out of poverty.
We will help to lift hundreds of thousands of seniors out of poverty by increasing
the Guaranteed Income Supplement for single low-income seniors by ten
percent. This will give one million of our most vulnerable seniors who are often
women almost $1,000 more each year.
And, as part of our new investment in social infrastructure, we will prioritize
investments in affordable housing and seniors facilities, build more new housing
units and refurbish old ones, give support to municipalities to maintain rentgeared-to-income subsidies in co-ops, and give communities the money they
need for Housing First initiatives that help homeless Canadians find stable
housing.
INVESTING TO STRENGTHEN
THE MIDDLE CLASS
Under Stephen Harper, Canadas economy has faltered, and our
middle class now finds it harder and harder to make ends meet. It is
time for smart, strategic investments that will turn our economy around
and get it growing again. Our plan will deliver the services we need,
create jobs, and restore economic security to the middle class.
INVESTING NOW
We will invest now in the projects our country needs and the people who can
build them.
Interest rates are at historic lows, our current infrastructure is aging rapidly, and
our economy is stuck in neutral. Now is the time to invest.
18
16
INVESTMENT ($B)
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25
2025-26
We will run modest short-term deficits of less than $10 billion in each of the next
two fiscal years to fund historic investments in infrastructure and our middle
class.
After the next two fiscal years, the deficit will decline and our investment plan will
return Canada to a balanced budget in 2019.
PUBLIC TRANSIT
We will invest in public transit to shorten commute times, cut air pollution,
strengthen our communities, and grow our economy.
Canadian cities have been growing at a rapid rate, but investment in public transit
has not kept pace.
Stephen Harpers failure to invest has led to worsening traffic congestion, making
it harder for families to spend time together. This gridlock also costs our economy
billions of dollars in lost productivity each year.
We will get our communities moving again, by giving our provinces, territories,
and municipalities the long-term, predictable federal funding they need to make
transit plans a reality.
Over the next decade, we will quadruple federal investment in public transit,
investing almost $20 billion more in transit infrastructure.
In communities all across Canada, transit projects are ready to go.
In British Columbias Lower Mainland, for example, plans are in place to:
extend rapid transit service along Broadway, currently the busiest bus
corridor in North America; and
bring light rail transit to Surrey, one of the fastest growing parts of the
region.
We will work with provinces and municipalities across the country to get projects
like these done.
STRONGER
COMMUNITIES
GREENER
COMMUNITIES
When it comes to infrastructure that will help keep Canadians safe and better
prepared for emergencies, local leaders know what needs to be done. What they
need is a federal partner willing to invest to help build stronger, more resilient
communities.
In St. Johns, this means upgrades to its wastewater plant.
In Trois-Rivires, this means improving the Maples and Cardinal-Roy reservoirs,
and finding ways to mitigate the regular flooding of the Millette, Bettez, and
Lacerte rivers.
In Calgary and Southern Alberta, this means investments in flood mitigation
projects, to help protect local families and businesses.
NEW BUILDING
CANADA FUND
We will make the New Building Canada Fund more focused and more
transparent.
The New Building Canada Fund is an important source of infrastructure funding
for Canadian communities, but it has been hit by dramatic cuts and is heavily
back-loaded, with more than 70 percent of its funding locked away until after
2019.
We will make the New Building Canada Fund more focused. By providing
significant, separate investments in public transit, social infrastructure, and green
infrastructure, we will enable the New Building Canada Fund to make greater
investments in Canadas roads, bridges, transportation corridors, ports, and
border gateways, helping Canadas manufacturers get their goods to market.
We will also make the fund more transparent, by providing clearer project criteria,
along with faster approval processes.
KEEPING OUR
COMMITMENT TO
COMMUNITIES
CANADA
INFRASTRUCTURE
BANK
We will help Canadians get the training they need to find and keep good jobs.
In a changing economy, Canadians need more opportunities to improve their
skills and upgrade their credentials. We will make it easier for adults to access
training programs by increasing investment in skills training.
To help those receiving Employment Insurance get the training they need to
rejoin the workforce, we will invest $500 million more each year in provincial and
territorial Labour Market Development Agreements.
To help those who do not qualify for Employment Insurance or are not currently
employed, we will invest an additional $200 million in training programs led by
the provinces and territories.
We will also invest $50 million to renew and expand funding to the Aboriginal
Skills and Employment Training Strategy, and provide $25 million each year for
training facilities, delivered in partnership with labour unions.
We will work with employers and workers to determine an appropriate
apprenticeship ratio for all federal infrastructure projects.
Our total investment of an additional $775 million per year for job and skills
training will help Canadians get the training they need to find and keep good
jobs.
JOBS AND
INNOVATION
AGRICULTURE
LABOUR UNIONS
We will restore fair and balanced labour laws that acknowledge the important
role of unions in Canada.
Labour unions play an important role in protecting the rights of workers and
growing the middle class.
Under Stephen Harper, many of the fundamental labour rights that unions have
worked so hard to secure have been rolled back, making it more difficult for
workers to organize freely, bargain collectively in good faith, and work in safe
environments.
We will restore fair and balanced labour laws that acknowledge the important
role of unions in Canada, and respect their importance in helping the middle class
grow and prosper. This begins with repealing Bills C-377 and C-525, legislation
that diminishes and weakens Canadas labour movement.
Changes to labour laws should be based on evidence, not ideology, and made
after legitimate consultation with unions.
We will reinstate a modernized and inclusive fair wages policy for federal
procurement.
We are strongly committed to supporting and protecting workers rights, and as
government, we will bargain in good faith with Canadas public sector unions.
LABOUR-SPONSORED
FUNDS
We will work with the provinces and territories to amend their labour codes, to
reflect these new federal benefits.
This more flexible plan will benefit more Canadians, representing an investment
of $125 million per year in the economic security of Canadian families.
SUPPORTING
CAREGIVERS
We will make the compassionate care benefit easier to access, more flexible,
and more inclusive.
Millions of Canadians provide compassionate care for seriously ill family
members, but the benefits available through Employment Insurance can be
difficult to access.
We will introduce a more flexible and inclusive benefit available to any Canadian
who provides care to a seriously ill family member.
This expanded benefit will:
be more inclusive for example, those caring for a seriously ill adult
family member who needs care beyond what can be provided during
evenings and weekends, or those caring for a seriously ill child who
cannot attend school for an extended period of time, will no longer be
excluded from the benefit.
FLEXIBLE WORKING
CONDITIONS
EMPLOYMENT
INSURANCE
Mark is a seasonally employed
worker in New Brunswicks
lobster fishery. Under our plan,
when his seasonal work comes
to an end and he applies for
Employment Insurance, he will
only lose one weeks worth of
income, not two. This will put
hundreds of dollars more in his
pocket at a time when he needs
it most.
We will fix Employment Insurance to better serve Canadians now, and help
boost Canadas economic growth now and in the long-term.
Employment Insurance provides economic security to Canadians when they
need it most. Those who have lost their jobs, through no fault of their own, or are
out of work to raise children, provide care for a loved one, or get needed skills
training, should not struggle to get the support they need.
We will strengthen the Employment Insurance system to make sure that it works
for our economy and for all Canadians.
Starting in 2017, we will reduce the waiting period for benefits. When a worker
loses their job and applies for Employment Insurance, they will only be without
income for one week, not two.
We will also reverse Stephen Harpers 2012 EI reforms that force unemployed
workers to move away from their communities and take lower-paying jobs.
We will ensure that the Employment Insurance system is providing real income
security to workers, including those with precarious work.
CHILD CARE
We will develop a child care framework that meets the needs of Canadian
families, wherever they live.
Child care needs vary from family to family, and provinces and territories have
responded to these needs in different ways. A one-size-fits all national program
particularly one that imposes pre-determined costs on other orders of
government is impractical and unfair.
We will meet with provinces, territories, and Indigenous communities to begin
work on a new National Early Learning and Child Care Framework, to deliver
affordable, high-quality, flexible, and fully inclusive child care for Canadian
families. This work will begin in the first 100 days of a Liberal government and will
be funded through our investments in social infrastructure.
The framework we design together will be administered in collaboration with,
and in respect of, provincial jurisdictions.
HEALTHIER KIDS
We will do our part to help Canadian children live healthier lives, with less
exposure to known health risks.
To help families make better food choices, we will:
To help Canadian children avoid and manage known health risks, we will increase
funding to the Public Health Agency of Canada by $15 million in each of the
next two years, to support a national strategy to increase vaccination rates and
raise awareness for parents, coaches, and athletes on concussion treatment.
This will be based on the best science and will support existing provincial and
territorial efforts.
We will introduce plain packaging requirements for tobacco products, similar to
those in Australia and the United Kingdom.
HELPING EDUCATORS
We will introduce a new tax benefit to help teachers and early childhood
educators with the cost of school supplies.
Teachers and early childhood educators work hard to provide a positive learning
environment for our children, often paying out-of-pocket for classroom supplies.
It is a generous gesture that is not currently recognized by our federal tax system.
To help offset these costs, we will introduce a new Teacher and Early Childhood
Educator School Supply Tax Benefit. This new benefit will apply to the purchase
of up to $1,000 worth of school supplies each year, providing a cash benefit of up
to $150 each year for licensed and certified teachers and educators, starting in
the 2015 tax year.
Because this benefit will operate as a refundable tax credit, all educators who
have purchased educational materials qualify, regardless of their income level.
CANADAS NORTH
We will invest in Canadas North, to help northern Canadians with the high
cost of living, and help our northern economies grow.
Canadas North is a vast and beautiful part of the world, home to a rich culture
and tremendous economic potential. Because of its isolation, however, it is also a
very expensive place to live.
The Northern Residents Deduction was designed to help mitigate these higher
costs, and help attract workers to the North. Unfortunately, the deduction
amount has not kept pace with inflation, making its help less valuable to those
who need it.
To help northern residents with higher costs of living, and to help our northern
economies grow, we will increase the residency component of the deduction by
33 percent to a maximum of $22 per day. We will also index this benefit so that it
keeps pace with inflation.
To ensure that northern families have access to affordable, healthy food, we will
increase investments in the Nutrition North program by $40 million, over four
years. We will also work with northern and remote communities to ensure that
the program is more transparent, effective, and accountable to northerners and
other Canadians.
As part of new, ten-year investments in social infrastructure and green
infrastructure, we will prioritize investment in affordable housing and climate
change preparedness, both of which are important to the quality of life for
northern Canadians.
For residents in Canadas Northern Zone, our enhanced Northern Residents
Deduction will provide a new annual maximum deduction of $8,000 per year,
from the $6,022 currently available.
Those living in the Intermediate Zone will see their annual maximum deduction
rise to $4,000 from $3,011 per year.
In total, this enhanced deduction represents a $50 million annual tax savings
for Northern Canadians.
CHAPTER TWO
ACCESS TO
INFORMATION
PERSONAL
INFORMATION
We will make it easier for Canadians to access their own personal information.
Canadians have a right to access their personal information held by the
government.
To make accessing this information faster, less complicated, and more affordable,
we will create a simple, central, no-fee website for personal information requests.
We will back this up with a 30-day guarantee: should a request take longer than
30 days to fulfill, government must provide a written explanation for the delay to
the applicant and the Privacy Commissioner.
OPEN DATA
OPEN PARLIAMENT
GOVERNMENT
ADVERTISING
FAIR ELECTIONS
We will protect the integrity of our elections and encourage more Canadians
to vote.
Fair elections are the cornerstone of democracy.
We will give Elections Canada the resources it needs to investigate voter fraud
and vote suppression, illegal financing, and other threats to free and fair elections.
We will help encourage more Canadians to vote, by removing restrictions on the
ways in which the Chief Electoral Officer and Elections Canada can communicate
with voters.
Any incident of electoral fraud must be prosecuted. To that end, we will restore
the independence of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, so that they are
accountable to Parliament and not the government of the day.
POLITICAL FINANCING
LEADERS DEBATES
ELECTORAL REFORM
YOUNG CANADIANS
We will engage with first-time voters and encourage more Canadians to vote.
Every young person should be registered to vote when they turn 18. We will
work with interested provinces and territories, and Elections Canada, to register
young Canadians as a part of their high school or CEGEP curriculum.
To ensure that no young person loses the opportunity to vote, we will mandate
Elections Canada to stay in contact with them if they change addresses
after graduation.
Finally, to encourage more voter participation, we will support Elections Canada
in proactively registering Canadians from groups that historically have lower
turnout, such as students.
EASIER VOTING,
STRONGER
PUNISHMENTS FOR
LAW BREAKERS
We will make it easier for Canadians to vote, and harder for election
lawbreakers to evade punishment.
We will repeal the anti-democratic elements in Stephen Harpers Fair Elections
Act, which make it harder for Canadians to vote and easier for election
lawbreakers to evade punishment.
We will restore the voter identification card as an acceptable form
of identification.
We will also increase penalties so that there are real deterrents for deliberately
breaking our election laws.
SENATE REFORM
QUESTION PERIOD
We will reform Question Period so that all members, including the Prime
Minister, are held to greater account.
As the head of government, the Prime Minister represents all Canadians and
should be directly accountable to all Canadians. We will introduce a Prime
Ministers Question Period to improve that level of direct accountability.
We will also empower the Speaker to challenge and sanction members during
Question Period, and allow more time for questions and answers.
We will look at other ways to make Question Period more relevant, including the
use of online technologies, and will work with all parties to recommend and bring
about these changes.
FREE VOTES
PROROGATION AND
OMNIBUS BILLS
those that address our shared values and the protections guaranteed by
the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
GOVERNMENT
WATCHDOGS
SUPREME COURT
APPOINTMENTS
We will restore dignity and respect to the relationship between government and
the Supreme Court. We will work with all parties in the House of Commons to
ensure that the process of appointing Supreme Court Justices is transparent,
inclusive, and accountable to Canadians.
We will ensure that the process involves proper consultation with authorities
throughout the legal profession, including the provinces, provincial law societies,
provincial appellate and superior courts, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court. We will ensure that all those appointed to the Supreme Court are
functionally bilingual.
PARLIAMENTARY
BUDGET OFFICER
FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT
NATIONAL SECURITY
OVERSIGHT
PARLIAMENTARY
COMMITTEES
CANADA REVENUE
AGENCY
We will make the Canada Revenue Agency fairer, more helpful, and easier
to use.
The Canada Revenue Agency exists to serve Canadians. We will overhaul its
service model so that people who interact with the CRA feel like valued clients,
not just taxpayers.
A client-focused Canada Revenue Agency will:
proactively contact Canadians who are entitled to, but are not receiving,
tax benefits;
support more Canadians who wish to file taxes using no paper forms; and
We will allow charities to do their work on behalf of Canadians free from political
harassment, and will modernize the rules governing the charitable and not-forprofit sectors.
This will include clarifying the rules governing political activity, with an
understanding that charities make an important contribution to public debate
and public policy. A new legislative framework to strengthen the sector will
emerge from this process.
We will also invest an additional $80 million, over four years, to help the Canada
Revenue Agency crack down on tax evaders.
CANADA POST
DIVERSITY IN
GOVERNMENT
YOUNG PEOPLE
GENDER IMPACTS
ONLINE SERVICES
QUALITY OF SERVICE
YOUR VOICE
EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY
Government should base its policies on facts, not make up facts
to suit a preferred policy. Common sense, good policy, and evidence
about what works should guide the decisions that government makes.
SCIENCE AND
SCIENTISTS
THE LONG-FORM
CENSUS
STATISTICS CANADA
MAKING DECISIONS
We will make decisions using the best data available and will invest only in
programs proven to offer good value.
Responsible governments rely on sound data to make their decisions. We will
release to the public key information that informs the decisions we make.
We will devote a fixed percentage of program funds to experimenting with new
approaches to existing problems. We will measure our results and encourage
innovation to continuously improve the services government provides to
Canadians.
We will use accurate data to make good decisions. We will stop funding initiatives
that are no longer effective and invest program dollars in those that are of
good value.
CHAPTER THREE
A Clean Environment
and a Strong Economy
A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT
AND A STRONG ECONOMY
Canadians want a government they can trust to protect the
environment and grow the economy. Stephen Harper has done
neither. Our plan will deliver the economic growth and jobs Canadians
need, and leave to our children and grandchildren a country even more
beautiful, more sustainable, and more prosperous than the one we have now.
CLIMATE CHANGE
We will provide national leadership and join with the provinces and territories
to take action on climate change, put a price on carbon, and reduce carbon
pollution.
Climate change is an immediate and significant threat to our communities and
our economy. Stephen Harper has had nearly a decade to take action on climate
change but has failed to do so. His lack of leadership has tarnished Canadas
reputation abroad, making it harder for Canadian businesses to compete.
The provinces and territories recognize the need to act now, and have already
begun to price carbon and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We
will end the cycle of federal parties of all stripes setting arbitrary targets
without a real federal/provincial/territorial plan in place.
We will instead partner with provincial and territorial leaders to develop real
climate change solutions, consistent with our international obligations to
protect the planet, all while growing our economy. Together, we will attend the
Paris climate conference, and within 90 days formally meet to establish a panCanadian framework for combatting climate change.
CLEAN JOBS
We will make it easier and more financially rewarding for Canadian businesses
to invest in creating clean jobs.
Clean technology can deliver real benefits for our environment and our economy,
including more good, middle class jobs.
We will invest $100 million more each year in clean technology producers, so that
they can tackle Canadas most pressing environmental challenges, and create
more opportunities for Canadian workers.
We will deliver more support to emerging clean tech manufacturing companies,
making it easier for them to conduct research and bring new products to market.
We will also invest $200 million more each year to support innovation and the
use of clean technologies in our natural resource sectors, including the forestry,
fisheries, mining, energy, and agricultural sectors.
To support both large- and community-scale renewable energy projects, the new
Canada Infrastructure Bank will issue Green Bonds to fund projects like electric
vehicle charging stations and networks, transmission lines for renewable energy,
building retrofits, and clean power storage.
We will enhance existing tax measures to generate more clean technology
investments, and work with the provinces and territories to make Canada
the worlds most competitive tax jurisdiction for investments in the research,
development, and manufacturing of clean technology.
We will deliver a better quality of life for all Canadians by working with the
provinces to set stronger air quality standards, monitor emissions, and provide
incentives for investments that lead to cleaner air and healthier communities.
As the countrys single largest
employer, customer, and landlord,
we will lead by example and
increase government use of
clean technologies. This will
boost domestic demand for clean
technology, support entrepreneurs,
and fuel new jobs.
We will improve energy efficiency
standards for consumer and
commercial products, and use
new financing instruments to
encourage investments in energysaving retrofits to Canadas
industrial,
commercial,
and
residential buildings.
CANADA HAS
LOST
71%
OF ITS CLEAN TECH MARKET
SHARE DURING THE
HARPER DECADE
19TH
We will look for ways for government to be an early adopter of emerging green
technologies, and will support clean transportation by adding electric vehicle
charging stations at federal parking lots, and rapidly expanding the federal fleet
of electric vehicles.
To foster the creativity that leads to cutting-edge research, we will establish
Canada Research Chairs in sustainable technology.
We will also work closely with the provinces and territories to develop a Canadian
Energy Strategy to protect Canadas energy security; encourage energy
conservation; and bring cleaner, renewable energy onto the electricity grid.
ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENTS
ensure that decisions are based on science, facts, and evidence, and serve
the publics interest;
provide ways for Canadians to express their views and opportunities for
experts to meaningfully participate; and
We will modernize the National Energy Board, ensuring that its composition
reflects regional views and has sufficient expertise in fields like environmental
science, community development, and Indigenous traditional knowledge.
We will end the practice of having federal Ministers interfere in the environmental
assessment process.
We will also ensure that environmental assessments include an analysis of
upstream impacts and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from projects
under review.
We will undertake, in full partnership and consultation with First Nations, Inuit,
and the Mtis Nation, a full review of laws, policies, and operational practices. This
will ensure that on project reviews and assessments, the Crown is fully executing
its consultation, accommodation, and consent obligations, in accordance
with its constitutional and international human rights obligations, including
Aboriginal and Treaty rights and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples.
We recognize the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the land, and will
respect legal traditions and perspectives on environmental stewardship.
Stephen Harpers changes to the Fisheries Act, and his elimination of the Navigable
Waters Protection Act, have weakened environmental protections. We will
review these changes, restore lost protections, and incorporate more modern
safeguards.
We will also do more to protect Canadas endangered species. We will respond
more quickly to the advice and requests of scientists, and will complete robust
species-at-risk recovery plans.
WATER
Oceans
Stephen Harpers failure to meet
our international commitments
to protect marine and coastal
areas puts these areas and our
international reputation at risk.
We will make up for Conservative
inaction and increase the amount of
Canadas marine and coastal areas
that are protected to five percent
by 2017, and ten percent by 2020.
To help achieve this, we will invest
$8 million per year in community
consultation and science.
36.7%
AUSTRALIA
33.2%
UNITED STATES
NEW ZEALAND
RUSSIA
30.4%
16.6%
11.6%
INDONESIA 5.8%
JAPAN 5.6%
NORWAY 2.8%
PHILIPPINES 2.5%
CANADA 1.3%
We will also directly invest in ocean science. Stephen Harper cut $40 million from
the federal ocean science and monitoring programs. We will restore that funding
so that we can protect the health of our fish stocks, monitor contaminants and
pollution in our oceans, and support responsible and sustainable aquaculture
industries on our coasts.
We will use scientific evidence and the precautionary principle, and take into
account climate change, when making decisions affecting fish stocks and
ecosystem management.
And we will do a better job of co-managing our oceans, by working with the
provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, and other stakeholders. Together,
we will develop plans that make the best use of our marine resources and give
coastal communities more say in managing the resources around them.
NATIONAL PARKS
Beginning in 2018, admission for children under 18 will be free, and any
adult who has become a Canadian citizen in the previous 12 months will
be given one years free admission.
Through an expanded Learn to Camp program, more low- and middleincome families will have an opportunity to experience Canadas
outdoors.
To protect ecosystems and species at risk, we will invest $25 million each year to
develop Canadas National Parks system, as well as manage and expand National
Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries.
We will protect our National Parks by limiting development within them, and
where possible, we will work with nearby communities to help grow local ecotourism industries and create jobs.
We will reverse Stephen Harpers cuts to Parks Canada, which cut more than
$25 million from programs and services, and made it more difficult for Canadians
to experience our National Parks and learn more about our environment and our
heritage.
We will work with the Ontario government to create the countrys first urban
National Park Rouge National Park including improved legislation to protect
this important ecosystem and guide how the park will be managed.
44 | REAL CHANGE: A NEW PLAN FOR A STRONG MIDDLE CLASS
CHAPTER FOUR
A Strong Canada
A RENEWED RELATIONSHIP
WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
The relationship between Canada and Indigenous Peoples is vitally
important not just to our shared economic interests, but to our
respective identities as nations. It is time for a renewed relationship based
on trust, respect, and a true spirit of cooperation.
Finally, we will ensure that the Kelowna Accord and the spirit of reconciliation
that drove it is embraced, and its objectives implemented in a manner that
meets todays challenges.
A NEW FISCAL
RELATIONSHIP
FIRST NATIONS
EDUCATION
We will work with First Nations to make sure that every First Nations child
receives a quality education.
It is vital to Canadians shared success that we work together to ensure better
economic outcomes for First Nations. This starts with education.
Chronic underfunding of the First Nations education system has held First
Nations students back: they are behind provincial peers in reading, writing, and
numeracy. Today, less than half of students on reserves graduate from high school.
To help close the funding gap and improve outcomes for First Nations students,
we will invest new funding each year in core funding for kindergarten through
grade 12 programs. This will include money committed by Stephen Harper that
has yet to flow, plus an additional $300 million per year in incremental funding,
totalling $750 million per year by the end of our first mandate. Over the next
four years, this represents a $2.6 billion new investment in helping First Nations
students learn and succeed.
We will provide new funding to help Indigenous communities promote and
preserve Indigenous languages and cultures.
We will also invest an additional $500 million over the next three years for
building and refurbishing First Nations schools.
We will invest $50 million in additional annual funding to the PostSecondary Student Support Program, which supports Indigenous students
attending post-secondary education, ensuring the program will keep up with
growing demand.
MTIS NATION
We will work with the Mtis Nation to improve the quality of life for Mtis
individuals and communities.
We will work, on a nation-to-nation basis, with the Mtis Nation to advance
reconciliation and renew the relationship, based on cooperation, respect for
rights, our international obligations, and a commitment to end the status quo.
We will work with Mtis people, as well as the provinces and territories, to
establish a federal claims process that recognizes Mtis self-government and
resolves outstanding claims.
We will also make permanent the funding available to provincial Mtis
communities for Mtis identification and registration, instead of it being available
year-to-year.
We will review, in partnership with Mtis communities, the existing federal
programs and services available to the Mtis Nation, to identify gaps and areas
where strategic investments can be made to improve Mtis quality of life.
To expand the economic opportunities for Mtis, we will develop a Mtis
Economic Development Strategy in partnership with Mtis communities and
existing Mtis financial institutions, and will invest $25 million over five years to
implement this new strategy.
MISSING AND
MURDERED
INDIGENOUS WOMEN
AND GIRLS
TRUTH AND
RECONCILIATION
THE FUTURE WE
OWE OUR VETERANS
Veterans and their families have earned our respect and gratitude.
It is time our government lived up to its sacred obligation to them.
Our plan will give back to those who have given so much in service to all
Canadians, and will ensure that no veteran has to fight the government for
the support and compensation they have earned.
VETERANS PENSIONS
We will give veterans more compensation, more choice, and more support in
planning their financial future.
We will re-establish lifelong pensions as an option for our injured veterans, and
increase the value of the disability award. We will ensure that every injured
veteran has access to financial advice and support so that they can determine the
form of compensation that works best for them and their families.
To better support veterans who have had their career options limited by a
service-related illness or injury, we will invest $25 million each year to expand
access to the Permanent Impairment Allowance. We will invest a further
$40 million each year to provide injured veterans with 90 percent of their
pre-release salary, and will index this benefit so that it keeps pace with inflation.
EDUCATION AND
TRAINING
We will honour the service of our veterans and provide new career
opportunities through a new Veterans Education Benefit.
Veterans have proven their ability to work hard and succeed, but many find it
difficult to build new careers after their years of service.
To help veterans re-enter the workforce, and to help expand Canadas skilled
labour force, we will invest $80 million every year to create a new Veterans
Education Benefit. This benefit will provide full support for the costs of up to four
years of college, university, or technical education for Canadian Forces veterans
after completion of service.
We will also expand the number of job opportunities available to veterans
by ensuring provisions for their employment are included in the Community
Benefits Agreements of federal infrastructure projects.
BETTER SERVICE
So that surviving veterans partners do not face a decline in quality of life with the
loss of their loved one, we will increase the veteran survivors pension amount
from 50 percent to 70 percent. We will also eliminate the marriage after 60
clawback clause, so that surviving spouses of veterans receive appropriate
pension and health benefits.
Veterans served Canada with honour and deserve to be treated with dignity
when they pass away. As our final act of respect, we will double funding to the
Last Post Fund to ensure that all veterans receive a dignified burial.
PREVENTING
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
BILL C-51
We will repeal the problematic elements of Bill C-51, and introduce new
legislation that better balances our collective security with our rights
and freedoms.
Canadians know that in Canada, we can both improve our security while
protecting our rights and freedoms.
We will introduce new legislation that will, among other measures:
ensure that Canadians are not limited from lawful protests and advocacy;
require a statutory review of the full Anti-Terrorism Act after three years;
and
GUNS
We will take action to get handguns and assault weapons off our streets.
Over the last decade, Stephen Harper has steadily weakened our gun laws in
ways that make Canadians more vulnerable and communities more dangerous.
We will take pragmatic action to make it harder for criminals to get, and use,
handguns and assault weapons. We will:
repeal changes made by Bill C-42 that allow restricted and prohibited
weapons to be freely transported without a permit, and we will put
decision-making about weapons restrictions back in the hands of police,
not politicians;
provide $100 million each year to the provinces and territories to support
guns and gangs police task forces to take illegal guns off our streets and
reduce gang violence;
We will not create a new national long-gun registry to replace the one that has
been dismantled.
We will ensure that Canada becomes a party to the international Arms Trade
Treaty.
MARIJUANA
CBC/RADIO-CANADA
We will reverse Stephen Harpers cuts and make new investments to support
our national broadcaster.
As the anchor to our cultural and creative industries, CBC/Radio-Canada is a vital
national institution that brings Canadians together, promotes and defends our
two official languages, and supports our shared culture.
By severely cutting its budget, Stephen Harper has jeopardized our national
broadcasters ability to do this important work.
We will protect the interests of our national broadcaster, in the interests of all
Canadians. We will reverse Stephen Harpers cuts and invest $150 million in new
annual funding for CBC/Radio-Canada, to be delivered in consultation with the
broadcaster and the Canadian cultural community.
We will review the process by which members are appointed to the
CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors, to ensure merit-based and
independent appointments.
CULTURAL AND
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
We will invest in our cultural and creative industries to create jobs and grow
the middle class, and to strengthen our rich Canadian identity.
Canadas cultural and creative industries are a vibrant part of our national identity
and our economy, providing employment to more than one million Canadians.
Unfortunately, these industries have been under attack during the Harper
decade, hit by funding cuts that have made it harder for Canadian artists to share
Canadian stories, here in Canada and around the world.
We will invest in our cultural and creative industries to help support and grow
these nation-building efforts.
Targeted investments will include:
doubling investment in the Canada Council for the Arts to $360 million
each year;
increasing funding for Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board, with
a new investment totalling $25 million each year; and
As part of our commitment to create 40,000 youth jobs each year, we will
increase funding for the Young Canada Works program to help prepare the next
generation of Canadians working in the heritage sector.
We will also make significant new investments in cultural infrastructure as part of
our investment in social infrastructure.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES
ensuring that all federal services be delivered in full compliance with the
Official Languages Act;
establishing a free, online service for learning and retaining English and
French as second languages;
SUPPORTING STRONG
COMMUNITIES
Canadas economic success comes from its strong communities, and
the exceptional people who live, work, and serve in them every day.
When we support those who make our communities great places to live,
we all benefit.
COMMUNITY HEROES
We will restore funding for Canadas four heavy urban search and
rescue teams.
Being able to respond swiftly and effectively to emergencies like ice storms,
floods, wildfires, and building collapses is in our national interest. In the past,
Canadas four heavy urban search and rescue teams have proven invaluable in
keeping Canadians and communities safe.
Under Stephen Harper, funding for these teams has been eliminated, putting our
national response capabilities in jeopardy.
To protect Canadians, our oceans, and our coastal economies, we will also
re-open the Maritime Rescue Sub-centre in St. Johns, and the Kitsilano Coast
Guard Base in Vancouver, which were closed by Stephen Harper.
CHAPTER FIVE
Security and
Opportunity
REUNITING FAMILIES
We will make it easier for immigrants to build successful lives in Canada, and
contribute to the economic success of all Canadians.
Immigration has always been an important part of Canadas economic growth,
but over the past decade, Stephen Harper has turned his back on welcoming
those who want to contribute to our countrys success.
We will take immediate steps to reopen Canadas doors, and will make reuniting
families a top priority.
We will immediately double the number of applications allowed for parents and
grandparents, to 10,000 each year.
We will also nearly double the budget for processing family class sponsorship.
Wait times will come down which currently average almost four years for
parent and grandparent applications.
We will provide more opportunities for applicants who have Canadian siblings by
giving additional points under the Express Entry system, and we will restore the
maximum age for dependents to 22 from 19, to allow more Canadians to bring
their children to Canada.
We will also grant immediate permanent residency to new spouses entering
Canada, eliminating the two-year waiting period.
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS AND
TEMPORARY
RESIDENTS
REMITTANCES
We will give international students and temporary residents credit for time
already spent in Canada.
We will make it easier for international students and other temporary residents
to become Canadian citizens by restoring the residency time credit. We will
also make changes to the Canadian Experience Class, to reduce the barriers to
immigration imposed on international students.
HIRING CAREGIVERS
A MORE COMPASSIONATE
CANADA
Canadians are open, accepting, and generous qualities that should
be reflected in Canadas response to those seeking refuge from conflict
and war. Our communities are strengthened when we come together to
help those in need. Canadas government should do the same.
SYRIAN REFUGEES
We will welcome more refugees from Syria to Canada, and offer more help to
those providing aid in the region.
Canadians have been deeply moved by the suffering of refugees in Syria and the
surrounding region. Canada has a strong history of helping those in need, from
Hungarian refugees in the 1950s to Ismaili Muslim refugees in the 1970s to those
fleeing South East Asia by boat in the 1970s and 1980s.
Many Canadians have already offered to help those fleeing Syria, and it is time
for the federal government to offer more help, too. We have a responsibility to
expand our refugee targets and give more victims of war a safe haven in Canada.
To that end, we will expand Canadas intake of refugees from Syria by 25,000
through immediate government sponsorship. We will also work with private
sponsors to accept even more. To do this, we will invest $250 million, including
$100 million this fiscal year, to increase refugee processing, as well as sponsorship
and settlement services capacity in Canada.
We will also provide a new contribution of $100 million this fiscal year to the
United Nations High Commission for Refugees to support critical relief activities
in the region.
REFUGEES
We will restore Canadas reputation and help more people in need through a
program that is safe, secure, and humane.
Canada once welcomed refugees openly, but that proud history has faded after a
decade of mismanagement under Stephen Harper. We will renew and expand our
commitment to helping resettle more refugees, and deliver a refugee program
that is safe, secure, and humane.
We will:
fully restore the Interim Federal Health Program that provides limited
and temporary health benefits to refugees and refugee claimants;
We will refocus our development assistance on helping the poorest and most
vulnerable.
Over the past ten years, Stephen Harper has steadily shifted aid away from the
worlds poorest countries, particularly in Africa.
We will consult with Canadian and international aid organizations to review
current policies and funding frameworks that will refocus our aid priorities on
poverty reduction.
As part of rebalancing our priorities, we will ensure that every dollar committed
to international development actually gets spent. We will not allow funds to
lapse, as Stephen Harper has done.
We will also ensure that Canadas valuable aid initiative on Maternal, Newborn
and Child Health (MNCH) is driven by evidence and outcomes, not ideology.
Closing existing gaps in reproductive rights and health care can and will save lives.
We will cover the full range of reproductive health services as part of MNCH
initiatives.
We will renew and repair our relationships with our North American partners.
For the past decade, Stephen Harper has led a government that is increasingly
partisan, suspicious, and hostile when dealing with our closest neighbours:
the United States and Mexico. We will end this antagonism and work with our
partners to advance our shared interests.
As a first step, we will immediately lift the Mexican visa requirement that unfairly
restricts travel to Canada, and commit to rescheduling and hosting a new trilateral
leaders summit with the United States and Mexico.
We will work with the United States and Mexico to develop a continent-wide
clean energy and environment agreement.
Because Canada relies on international trade to create jobs and grow our
economy, we will work to reduce the barriers that limit trade. With a re-focused
Building Canada Fund, we will promote a steadier flow of goods and business
travellers by modernizing border infrastructure and streamlining cargo
inspections.
To underscore the importance of the United States to Canada, we will also create
a Cabinet committee to oversee and manage our relationship.
GETTING CANADIAN
GOODS TO MARKET
CANADAS
LEADERSHIP IN
THE WORLD
PROMOTING
INTERNATIONAL PEACE
AND SECURITY
INVESTING IN
OUR MILITARY
F-35
ROYAL CANADIAN
NAVY
STRATEGIC
PRIORITIES
REPORT ON
TRANSFORMATION
COMBAT MISSION
IN IRAQ
CENTRAL AND
EASTERN EUROPE
CHAPTER SIX
Fiscal Plan
and Costing
OUR PLAN
Our plan makes different choices than the Harper Conservatives and
the NDP. For example:
We will cancel child benefit cheques for millionaires so that we can increase
child benefits for the middle class and those working hard to join it.
We will increase the marginal tax rate on Canadas top one percent so that we
can cut taxes for the middle class.
We will conduct a review of all tax expenditures to target tax loopholes that
particularly benefit Canadas top one percent.
We will be honest about the government of Canadas fiscal position, and base
our projections on the recent report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, instead of Aprils outdated budget figures.
We will run modest deficits for three years so that we can invest in growth for
the middle class and credibly offer a plan to balance the budget in 2019.
Our choices mean that our plan will bring meaningful and immediate change to the
lives of all Canadians.
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
1.9
2.3
2.3
2.2
2.0
1.0
2.7
2.4
2.2
2.2
remains in a sustainable fiscal position. We have two fiscal anchors that guide our overall fiscal framework.
In 2019/20, we will:
Reduce the federal debt-to-GDP ratio to 27 percent
Balance the budget
Our plan is anchored in prudent forecasting, including restoring a contingency reserve as we return to surplus,
and not budgeting for the positive fiscal impacts of new investments.
We will raise the bar on fiscal transparency. We will ensure accounting consistency among the Estimates and
the Public Accounts; provide costing analysis for each government bill; restore the requirement that government
borrowing plans receive Parliamentary approval; end the inappropriate use of omnibus legislation; and ensure
the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) is truly independent, properly funded, and answerable only, and directly,
to Parliament.
We will also add the costing of political party platforms to the PBOs mandate,
as is the case in Australia and the Netherlands, so that starting in the next federal election, Canadians can review the fiscal plans of political parties from a credible and
comparable baseline.
PLANNING FRAMEWORK
We were the first party in this campaign to announce our planning framework.
...long-lived investment is actually a wonderful thing to be doing. Its exactly the right
thing to be doing.
DAVID DODGE, former Governor of the Bank of Canada and former Deputy Minister of Finance
(CBC Radio One, The House, August 29, 2015)
[This] announcement by the Liberal Party of Canada has the potential to meaningfully
improve the quality of life of Canadians in cities and communities across the country.
RAYMOND LOUIE, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
(Federation of Canadian Municipalities, August 27, 2015)
Canadas Liberal Party is pushing what should be pushed in US a major infrastructure initiative to get the economy going & build for future.
LAWRENCE SUMMERS, former Director, President Obamas National Economic Council
(Twitter, @LHSummers, August 27, 2015)
...significant and meaningful commitment to meet the urgent need for major infrastructure investment in cities and communities across Canada.
GREGOR ROBERTSON, Mayor of Vancouver
(Office of the Mayor of Vancouver, August 27, 2015)
With the Liberal plan, the federal government will have a modest short-term deficit of less than $10 billion in
each of the next two fiscal years less than half the average Harper deficit of over $20 billion per year. After the
next two fiscal years, the deficit will decline and our investment plan will return Canada to a balanced budget
in 2019/20. Combining fiscal prudence with investments in economic growth, we will end the Harper legacy of
chronic deficits and reduce Canadas federal debt-to-GDP ratio each year.
The Conservatives and the NDP have based their planning framework on assumptions from the April 2015 budget, before it was understood that Canada was in a recession. Our plan is transparent and honest about the weakened fiscal position that the federal government is facing.
Planning Framework
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
2,700
3,600
4,600
7,800
2,100
1,400
1,200
200
600
2,200
3,400
7,600
New revenue
24,663
27,436
29,148
30,681
35,157
39,152
38,266
37,281
9,894
9,516
5,718
1,000
30%
29%
28%
27%
Our plan includes measures that, according to Department of Finance multiplier projections, will have positive
impacts on economic growth, particularly infrastructure investment and measures for lower-income Canadians.
This new economic growth would in turn improve the fiscal position of the federal government. With our plans
level of investment, this would translate into additional billions per year for the fiscal bottom line. While these
improvements to the bottom line would be material, consistent with Department of Finance practices, we have
not included them in our planning framework.
2010
2010Q4
1.0
1.5
1.6
1.0
1.4
1.5
0.8
1.3
1.4
0.8
1.5
1.7
EI premiums
0.2
0.5
0.6
0.4
0.9
1.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
Fiscal Measure
NEW REVENUE
New Revenue
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
17,960
18,245
18,550
18,825
500
1,000
2,000
3,000
2,800
2,856
2,913
2,971
523
2,100
2,140
2,185
1,995
2,050
2,110
2,165
725
825
890
925
160
235
295
360
125
250
250
24,663
27,436
29,148
30,681
NOTES:
Replacing the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB), and
National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) expenditures - Canada Child Benefit
The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is projected to have a net new cost of $1.8 billion in 2016/17, rising to $2.0 billion
in 2019/20. This reflects a CCB that invests $21.7 billion in 2016/17, the savings from cancelling income splitting
($2.0 billion), and replacing the CCTB, NCBS, and UCCB ($17.9 billion).
CCB cost projections are based on the number of children under 18 by family income (CANSIM Table 111-0013,
Table 111-0022) applied against the CCBs new benefit levels. Cost projections were compared and confirmed
with Statistics Canadas Social Policy Simulation Database and Model (SPSD/M). To project future years, the average growth rate for child benefits in recent years was used, based on historical data from Canada Revenue Agency
(CRA) and the Public Accounts.
After the announcement of the Liberal CCB, the Conservatives claimed that Liberals had not accounted for federal revenue from the taxable UCCB. This was proven false. As part of that claim, the Conservatives released
previously unavailable and more detailed Department of Finance data on CCTB/NCBS cost projections, which
showed a reduction in the costs of child benefits in 2014/15.
If there are lower child benefit costs, then the cost of both existing benefits and the new CCB will be reduced. In
fact, using those revised projected child population growth rates would reduce the net cost of the CCB below the
$1.8 billion that we have estimated. We will, therefore, continue to use our higher starting projections to ensure
the most prudent figure possible.
Backgrounder Real Change: Fairness for the middle class
Significantly reducing the advertising budget of the government of Canada, and ending the use of
government advertising for partisan activities.
Conducting an overdue and wide-ranging review of the over $100 billion in increasingly complex tax
expenditures that now exist, with the core objective being to look for opportunities to reduce tax benefits
that unfairly help those with individual incomes in excess of $200,000 per year. For example, a recent
Parliamentary Budget Officer analysis of tax expenditure changes from 2005 to 2013 demonstrates that
multiple new measures introduced by Stephen Harper provided new benefits to tax filers in the 96th to
100th percentiles.
A starting point would be to set a cap on how much can be claimed through the stock option deduction.
The Department of Finance estimates that 8,000 very high-income Canadians deduct an average of
$400,000 from their taxable incomes via stock options. This represents three quarters of the fiscal impact
of this deduction, which in total cost $750 million in 2014. Stock options are a useful compensation tool
for start-up companies, and we would ensure that employees with up to $100,000 in annual stock option
gains will be unaffected by any new cap.
Directing CRA to immediately begin an analysis and stronger enforcement of tax evasion, or what the
OECD calls the tax gap. According to a 2013 analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the size of
the gap totals nearly 7 percent of total tax liability in the United Kingdom and 14.5 percent in the United
States. Harpers Conservative government refused to provide the PBO with the data that is needed to
undertake a similar analysis for Canada.
As we reduce the small business tax rate to 9 percent from 11 percent, we will ensure that CanadianControlled Private Corporation (CCPC) status is not used to reduce personal income tax obligations for
high-income earners rather than supporting small businesses. Michael Wolfson from the University of
Ottawa estimates that approximately $500 million per year is lost, particularly as high-income individuals
use CCPC status as an income splitting tool.
Reducing the use of external consultants, bringing expenditures closer to 2005/06 levels. Here are a few
examples of how this spending item has increased under Harper:
Employment and Social Development Canada (formerly Human Resources and Skills Development
1. http://fin.gc.ca/budget05/booklets/bkexp-eng.asp
Canada) has increased its spending on external Business Services by 61 percent since 2006/07,
equivalent to 7 percent compound annual growth a total increase of $140 million per year.
Public Works and Government Services Canada has increased its spending on external Business
Services by 150 percent since 2006/07, equivalent to 14 percent compound annual growth a total
increase of $188 million per year.
Public Works and Government Services Canada has increased its spending on external Other
professional services by 212 percent since 2006/07, equivalent to 18 percent compound annual
growth a total increase of $332 million per year.
Cancel the education and textbook tax credits to boost student grants
The current system of post-secondary education tax credits includes the modest textbook and education tax
credits, which only provide a benefit at the end of the tax year, and are not targeted at students from low- and
middle-income families. We will eliminate these two credits in order to boost upfront non-repayable grants that
put money directly into the pockets of students, and to ensure our student loan system is more flexible. The current tuition tax credit will remain in place. Revenue projections are derived from the Department of Finance tax
expenditures report, with a four year window for usage of outstanding carried forward credits.
NEW INVESTMENTS
New Investment
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
25,550
26,136
26,747
27,293
5,025
5,025
3,450
3,450
524
2,100
2,140
2,185
2,155
2,254
2,267
1,689
Health
415
665
900
1,000
415
1,445
1,400
400
185
380
380
380
Indigenous Peoples
275
575
455
355
Veterans
325
309
311
313
Strengthening communities
155
155
158
158
Immigration
133
108
58
58
35,157
39,152
38,226
37,281
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
21,725
22,160
22,600
23,000
2,870
2,925
3,000
3,050
720
760
800
840
55
105
160
210
125
130
130
135
50
51
52
53
Infrastructure
Investment
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
1,675
1,675
1,150
1,150
Social infrastructure
1,675
1,675
1,150
1,150
Green infrastructure
1,675
1,675
1,150
1,150
1. http://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/eng/oca-bac/ar-ra/oas-psv/pages/oas12.aspx
2. http://www41.statcan.gc.ca/2007/70000/ceb70000_004-eng.htm
Employment Insurance
Investment
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
138
550
560
570
175
700
725
750
30
125
125
130
48
190
195
200
125
500
500
500
35
35
35
Projections from ESDC analysis, EI Monitoring and Assessment Report, Canada Gazette, with assumed higher
take-up of enriched existing benefits due to enhancements (compassionate care, parental benefits).
Backgrounder Real Change: Employment Insurance that strengthens our economy and works for Canadians
Backgrounder Real Change: Working for modern Canadian families
Backgrounder Real Change: Better compassionate support for caregivers
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
750
800
825
850
455
455
435
125
300
300
300
200
200
200
200
115
160
165
165
115
119
122
129
85
85
85
85
60
60
60
60
50
50
50
50
25
25
25
25
Increased Canada Student Grants projected using Statistics Canada data on post-secondary enrollments
(CANSIM 477-0019), families by income (CANSIM 111-0013), projected population in Canada by age
(CANSIM 052-0005), and the most recent Canada Student Loan Program Annual Report and Statistical
Review
Increased Repayment Assistance Program threshold projected using the most recent Canada Student
Loan Program Annual Report, and Canada Student Loan Program Actuarial Report done by the Office of
the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada
Press Release Liberal Party of Canada Leader Justin Trudeau shares economic vision for Canada
Backgrounder Real Change: Jobs and skills training for Canadians
Backgrounder Real Change: Investing in our children and educators
Health
Investment
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
400
650
900
1,000
15
15
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
1,000
1,000
200
200
200
200
Clean-tech production
100
100
100
100
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
15
45
Low Carbon Economy Trust will be endowed by the federal government but operated through a federalprovincial partnership that flows funding to projects that reduce carbon pollution
Backgrounder Real Change: A new plan for Canadas environment and economy
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
75
150
150
150
10
25
25
25
Investment in NFB/Telefilm
10
25
25
25
90
180
180
180
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
100
200
300
300
100
300
100
50
50
50
50
20
20
Indigenous Peoples
Investment
New education partnership with First Nations is net of funding committed in fiscal framework, but yet to flow to
First Nations. The total commitment to First Nations education is $750 million per year.
Backgrounder Real Change: Education and economic opportunity for First Nations
Veterans
Investment
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
25
25
25
25
38
42
44
46
80
80
80
80
100
100
100
100
20
50
50
50
50
Permanent Impairment Allowance and Earnings Loss Benefit projections based on Veterans Ombudsman
projections, less modest increases since by the government
Veterans Education Benefit based on number of personnel leaving the CAF each year, cost of a year of
post-secondary education, and high take-up rate
Cost of Veterans Affairs offices from government projections
The actuarial impact of restoring lifelong pensions for injured veterans and increasing survivors pensions
will be booked immediately in 2015/16
Strengthening Communities
Investment
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
100
100
100
100
10
10
10
10
10
10
11
11
10
10
12
12
20
20
20
20
Immigration
Investment
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
25
50
50
50
100
50
Backgrounder Real Change: A new plan for Canadian immigration and economic opportunity